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| Salmon croquette, potato salad, and deviled eggs. Oops, everything is the same color! |
Salmon croquettes are simple fare; they are easy to prepare,
and keeping a can of salmon on hand for emergencies is a good idea. My mother grew up and entered married life in
a time when it was not uncommon for unexpected company to appear at the doorstep
near enough to mealtime that it was only polite to invite them to stay for a
meal. Salmon croquettes were my mother’s
stand-by entrée for such occasions. That
age in our society has pretty much passed (I cannot think of a time in my adult
life when I have had to feed unexpected guests), but salmon croquettes remain to be one of my favorite quick-and-easy dishes.
This is my mother’s formula for salmon croquettes. Frying gives them a crispy crust. However, using nonstick pan spray gives a
result almost as good as the fried variety and reduces the fat content.
SALMON CROQUETTES
1 can salmon (13 oz.)
13 saltine crackers
2 eggs
dash cayenne pepper
cornmeal
cooking oil
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| 13 saltine crackers, no more and no less! |
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| Simple ingredients, simple tools. |
Drain salmon and discard liquid. With a fork, mash salmon very finely until no
clumps remain. Crush crackers into fine crumbs.
Add crackers and eggs to salmon; mix well. Add a dash of cayenne. Shape mixture into patties that are ½ inch
thick and two to three inches in diameter.
Coat patties with cornmeal and fry in hot oil, about 1/4 inch deep. Drain on paper towel when done.
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| Shaped, rolled in cornmeal, and ready to cook. |
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| Sizzling. |
Variation to use less fat:
Heat nonstick frying pan, then spray with non-stick pan spray. Cook salmon patties until brown on bottom,
then cover skillet for a few minutes to enable the egg to cook thoroughly. Remove lid, turn patties over, and cook until
second side is brown.
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| Croquette at top (12 o/clock) was cooked using only pan spray. The ones cooked in fat are a bit more crunchy, but not significantly so. |
